A New Beginning
by melaniesteps
Summary: Clementine makes her choice to leave Kenny and have a safe life with AJ in Wellington. Her new life starts now. (Offers choices like in the actual game that will affect the story, told mainly from Clementine's POV)
1. Chapter 1

So I'm starting a new fan fiction of how I think Wellington would be for Clementine if she left Kenny. Some chapters will offer choices that will affect the story like in the game. Let me know your vote on the choices in the reviews! Chapter 2 will start the fanfic and will be out soon!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

(Clementine's POV)

I heard the heavy doors shut behind me. I didn't turn back around to look at them, just flinched at the loud sound. I gripped Kenny's hat tightly as Edith approached me after leaving briefly. She came back with a man, probably in his mid-twenties. He gave me an easy smile.

"Clementine, this is Malcolm. He is one of our ten senior officers and will be showing you around a little before you are evaluated at City Hall," Edith told me.

"Evaluated?" I asked.

"Tested. To see how well you are with a gun and what job you'll be recommended for," Malcolm answered. He looked down at his watch and looked at Edith. "We gotta get going, so do you mind taking the baby to your place? And I'll figure out where she's staying and I'll come by later and pick him up."

"Sure thing," Edith responded and reached out to me, motioning for me to give her AJ. I hesitated a little, but gave her AJ and followed Malcolm. My stomach grumbled and I shifted uncomfortably. I haven't eaten in about two days. Malcolm looked back at me and gave me a concerned look.

"Hungry?" He asked. I nodded. He looked back down at his watch and sighed. "I mean, we can go grab some food really quick, but then you're definitely gonna be late and that won't be a great first impression. Up to you, though."

Go get food first (A)

Go get tested first (B)

Sorry I know it's short, but the chapters will get longer! Vote your choice and also tell me what you think so far!


	3. Chapter 3

If there is a tie in the vote or if not enough people voted, I'll just flip a coin to see what the choice is. I flipped a coin and it was A

Chapter 3

(Clementine's POV)

I looked back down at my stomach as it grumbled again. Malcolm laughed a little.

"I guess that's a yes to food, then," he smiled. "Follow me." He turned to his left down an alley, lined with open-window markets offering clothes, food, and weapons. I caught up to Malcolm and fell in stride with him, walking right next to him.

"You're allowed to stay here as long as you'd like. You get up to five points until you're kicked out. Murder or mass attacks are an automatic out. Stealing and relatively minor crimes are 1-3 points and just cost you some of your paycheck."

"Paycheck?" I asked, confused. Malcolm just shook his head.

"You'll get a book that explains it all when we get to City Hall," Malcolm replied, pulling something out of his pocket as we stopped in front of a stand. The sign on top of the stand read "Hot Broth and Hot Beverages".

"I assume you're also pretty cold," Malcolm said to me as he pulled out some paper with different colors and a large '10' on it. It looked like makeshift money. "Keep the change," Malcolm said to the vendor as he ordered one large bowl of broth with noodles and a small hot chocolate. He handed me the bowl.

"Thanks, Malcolm," the vendor smiled. Malcolm nodded and took the hot chocolate.

"Thank you," I said as I picked up a plastic fork and a plastic spoon and ate a few noodles. The warmth from them filled my body and I immediately felt better.

"No problem," Malcolm smiled after taking a sip of hot chocolate. "I can take you out for a better meal after your evaluation and check-in if you want. So much more to the food here than just some broth." I nodded, agreeing with the idea. At this point, though, I was more than happy to eat anything edible. Malcolm led me to a sitting area and sat down at a bench. I sat on the opposite side of him.

"So about that paycheck, everyone has a job here, even the kids. Of course, a job is optional, but every household has a rent. Rent doesn't include food, clothing, vehicle, and misc objects costs. So, if you're in a household with a steady income, you probably won't need a job unless you want some spending money. Understand?"

"Yep. It's basically how life was before all this," I answered. Malcolm nodded.

"There's currency here and payments gotta be made so the circle of money continues. It's all good and safe here as long as everyone behaves," Malcolm said. I finished off my bowl of broth and noodles as Malcolm stood back up. He grabbed my empty bowl and brought it over to a tray and plate return station and set it in the pile. "Alright, let's get going." Malcolm said. I followed him back down the alley and he stopped suddenly. He walked over to the side and I followed him. We stopped in front of a small building, about the size of a house.

"Senior Officer Kowalski," Malcolm said to the man standing in front of the door. "Requesting a vehicle for transport to the shooting range." The man stepped to the side really quick and spoke into a radio. He came back to us seconds later after writing a few things on a clipboard.

"Yes, sir. Have a golf cart readied," the man replied and motioned his hand up. A garage door to the right of us opened and was filled with golf carts. Malcolm walked into the garage and I followed closely behind him. He headed over to a small window where a woman was holding out a pair of keys.

"Cart 302 is yours. Return no later than 8:00 tonight, sir," she said and Malcolm took the keys. He nodded over to me and then to the cart and I got into the passenger side. Malcolm started the cart and carefully pulled out as people walking moved out of the way. I heard the familiar sound of a radio crackling and Malcolm picked his up from his hip.

"Officer Kowalski?" The voice from the radio asked.

"Go ahead," he answered.

"There's no households willing to take in two kids except for yours, Edith's, and two other ones. Where is she going to go?" The voice asked.

"Hang on," Malcolm said and turned off the radio. He looked from the road to me. "Where do you wanna go?"

Malcolm's house (A)

Edith's house (B)

Other offer #1 (C)

Other offer #2 (D)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

(Clementine's POV)

"I'll live with you," I answered. Malcolm nodded.

"She's gonna be with me, Bronson," he said into the radio and clicked it off again.

"Copy, copy," the man on the radio said and it crackled off. Malcolm drove for a few more minutes before he pulled into an underground driveway. A large door opened and he drove the cart into an underground parking area. Two men with large guns approach us. Malcolm turned off the cart and got out. I got out as well.

"Sir," one of the men said. Malcolm nodded to them.

"Here for weapons evaluation," he said to the two men and looked back at me. "How old are you?"

"I, uh-eleven," I stuttered out. The two soldiers nodded and one jotted down something on a clipboard he was carrying.

"Sir, Clift wanted to have a word with you in the armory about some things," the man with the clipboard said to Malcolm.

"Alright," Malcolm answered. He looked over to me. "Clementine, go ahead and follow Quinn to the shooting range." Malcolm pointed to the man without the clipboard and he gave me a friendly smile. I smiled back and looked back over to Malcolm. "When you're done there, you'll just walk on over to City Hall and tell the person at the front that you're Clementine. They'll set you up, ok? And then I'll meet you in City Hall once you're done."

"Ok," I simply answered. Malcolm followed the man with the clipboard. Quinn looked back at me and raised his eyebrows.

"Ready?" He asked. I nodded and he nodded back. "Alright. Follow me." He started to walk away from the parked vehicles and towards a door at the top of the parking garage. He opened a door for me that led us into a long hall. "So you're eleven and still alive? That's pretty spectacular," Quinn said as we started walking down the corridor.

"Well, I was with some groups along the way. I wasn't on my own," I replied, becoming a little sad by remembering all the people that died.

"I figured," Quinn replied, and I gave him an angry glare. He caught my glance and quickly took back the controversial response he just made. "No, no. I meant...I figured you didn't survive on your own because no one really would be able to. And be sane at the same time. Sorry I didn't mean it in a rude way, what I said."

"It's ok," I said in a forgiving way. We continued down the hall in silence until we reached a door that Quinn stopped in front of. He opened the door for me and I walked through.

"You're gonna follow the stairs until you see a door on your right that says 'shooting range.' Just go on in there and someone will be waiting for you, ok?" Quinn asked.

"Ok. Thank you," I said politely as I started up the stairs. I got to the shooting range and opened the door. A man was leaning against the wall and his cold blue eyes shot over at me. I slowly walked over to him as he rolled his eyes. He picked up a clipboard and looked at me.

"Name? Age?" He asked, obviously annoyed.

"Clementine, and eleven," I answered. He wrote it down on the clipboard and walked over to an open counter where three other people sat.

"CZ75," he told one of the people sitting at the counter. The woman nodded and briefly left, returning with a small handgun. The first man took it and handed it to me. "Fire off a few shots and make them count. Don't waste any bullets on stupid shots." I walked over to an aisle and pondered my thoughts.

Try and show off (A)

Play it safe (B)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

(Clementine's POV)

I lifted my arms out and raised the pistol, deciding to just play it safe and boot try to impress anyone.

"Hit targets 1, 7, and 4, in that order. Then, 2, 3, and 5," the man announced. I nodded in understanding and squeezed the trigger, hitting the bullseye on the 1 target. I carefully aimed to the next target, taking a deep breath like Lee always told me to. I adjusted my aim and fired again, hitting just to the left of the target. I aimed to target 4 and took my time again, making sure to be accurate. I by the bullseye and aimed to target 2. I set up my aim and shot on the outermost ring on the target. I aimed to target 3 and took a deep breath, squeezing the trigger. The bullet hit just next to the bullseye. I aimed at the last target and took a few deep breaths to calm myself. I could feel the man's cold eyes watching me as his muscular build intimidated me. I shot the last target and it hit the ring next to the bullseye. I wiped the sweat from my dominant hand on my pants and moved the gun back to that hand as I looked to the man with the cold eyes. He looked as bored as he did when I walked in; seeming unimpressed and irritated. I handed him the gun and he returned it to the counter. He walked back over and picked up his clipboard.

"So...that was only the slowest evaluation I've ever seen, and I've been doing this job for two years," he grumbled as he wrote stuff down on the clipboard. I squinted my eyes angrily at him as he looked up at me. "Don't give me that look. You just took your dandy time. If you were surrounded by turners, they'd sink their chompers in you if you took your sweet time to defend yourself." I stayed silent, knowing he was partially right. But, he was still rude. "I give it a five. Not very good for someone who's been out of Wellington all this time. And you were also late," he ripped off the paper from the clipboard once he finished writing on it and handed it to me. "If you're gonna stay here, don't be late to things. Now get a hustle up to City Hall and give that to the lady at the front."

"Thanks..." I said slowly as I took the paper, a sarcastic tone dripping from my mouth. The guy gave me a glare. Not cold, this time. More of a glare you give someone as a warning. A glare you give someone when they just made a mistake. I swallowed nervously as I exited through the exit door and found myself on another staircase. At the top, I saw a light coming through the door and figured that led outside. I jogged up the stairs and opened the door, finding my assumption to be correct. Just in front of me and to my left was a huge building with three stories. I walked towards it, passing multiple people all dressed in warm clothes. Most had hats, gloves, scarves; extra materials of warmth. They still shivered every once in a while as I realized I wasn't even that cold. All I had was a light jacket, jeans, and gym shoes. The fact that they still complained about the cold, despite their warm clothes, wanted to make me yell at them. Shout at them for not being grateful that they are five times as warm as me. Then I realized something; just about everyone here hasn't been outside of Wellington for three years. Most of these people have been provided for at least a year. They're used to eating every day and not having to worry about freezing to death. Their complaining was unfortunate and selfish, but was actually a good sign. I can't remember the last time I complained about not having enough clothing for warmth or for not eating something I didn't want. For the first time in three years, I'd be normal. I'd be able to eat normally, be healthy, and be calm. I reached the front door of City Hall and walked in. The first thing that greeted me was a medium-sized desk that had a lady with short, dark hair sitting behind it. She looked up in attention at me as the door closed.

"Clementine, is it?" She asked. I nodded and handed her the paper. She looked at it and made a confused face. "A five? That's it?" She looked up at me with kind, dark eyes.

"He said I was too slow," I sighed. She rolled her eyes.

"Who was there? Andy or Terry?" She asked. I just shrugged.

"Dark or light skinned?" She asked.

"Light. He had blue eyes too," I answered. She shook her head and smiled at me.

"That's Andy. He's kinda an asshole. I doubt you're really a five for your age and for being outside Wellington for three years," she smiled. I smiled back sheepishly.

"Thanks," I said. She nodded and reached her right hand over the desk.

"I'm Zoey," she said politely as I shook her hand. "I run the front desk here. If I'm not here, either Erin, Fiona, or Trisha will be here. But I work here most of the time."

"Nice to meet you," I smiled.

"I know you're here by yourself since there wasn't enough room, so if you ever need any help or wanna talk, I'm a good listener," she whispered. I nodded and she pointed to a door. "Go on in there for a little checkup and vaccinations and then you'll get your house key, ok?"

"Got it. Thank you," I said and headed over to the door that Zoey pointed to. I walked in and saw it was a room with a few chairs and a few doors, probably leading to more rooms. A woman in a lab coat exited one of the doors and looked at me.

"Clementine?" She asked. I nodded and she opened one of the doors for me. I walked through and found myself in a small room with one of those beds they have when you go to checkups.

"Ok, come on over here. I'm gonna take your height and weight," she said, standing by a scale. I walked over to her as she took my height and weight. "Go ahead and sit up there." I hoisted myself up on the bed and she put the buds to a stethoscope in her ears as she put the end on my back. "Deep breaths." I breathed in and out deeply, relaxing my body as I inhaled and exhaled. I felt the end of the stethoscope leave my back and the woman pulled out another device. She quickly looked in my ears, eyes, and mouth. "Roll up your sleeve." I rolled up my sleeve and she opened a drawer nearby filled with syringes and small vials of vaccines. He filled up a few syringes and cleaned my shoulder with a wet wipe. "Small pox, Hepatitis B, and yellow fever." She said as each needle went in. I winced a little as each needle went in, but the pain quickly faded and turned into a raw annoyance rather than a pain. I hopped off the bed and looked to the doctor. "You're all set to go. Now you're going to head to room 102 right across the hall and get your key. Malcolm should be waiting in there or will be there shortly."

"Thank you," I said and exited the room. I went to room 102 and saw Malcolm waiting there.

"Hey Clementine. How'd it all go?" He asked?

"Good" (A)

"The shots hurt" (B)

"The guy at the shooting range was rude..." (C)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

(Clementine's POV)

"The guy at the shooting range, Andy, was pretty mean," I mumbled. Malcolm slowly nodded.

"Yeah he's a jerk. I'll talk to him later."

"Malcolm, she's staying with you, correct?" Someone asked, walking into the room. It was a man with a thick beard and a bald head.

"Yeah," Malcolm answered.

"House 104, correct?" The bearded man asked. Malcolm nodded and the bearded man took out a key and held it out to me. "Don't lose that. You only get one, got it?"

"Yeah, got it," I responded. The man nodded and looked to Malcolm.

"You're all set to go," he said.

"Thanks, Wes," Malcolm answered and he walked out the door. I followed behind him and we both exited City Hall. "Got your shots?"

"Yeah, three of them," I answered. I saw the golf waiting in front of City Hall with a man sitting in the driver's seat. We walked to the cart and Malcolm greeted the man.

"Hey, Cal. You takin' us back?" He asked him.

"Yes, sir. Rick down at vehicle transport asked me to just bring it back down once I drove you guys since you have your own carts at your house," Cal responded as I got into the back of the cart and Malcolm sat shotgun.

"Well thanks."

"No problem," Cal smiled as he started the cart. He drove straight forward and turned every now and then. "So, Clementine? Right?"

"Yep," I answered.

"Nice name. I had a cousin named Clementine, actually. She and her family lived in Europe."

"Know what it's like there?" Malcolm asked Cal.

"No idea. The phones wouldn't work once the outbreak started," Cal said sadly. We pulled up in front of a group of fairly-large buildings, each with two stories. They didn't exactly look like houses, but looks probably didn't matter anymore. Malcolm and I exited and Cal waved. "Have a good one, you two!"

"Thanks, Cal. You too," Malcolm yelled back as Cal drove away. Malcolm turned back to me. "Perks of being a senior officer. Bigger houses." He pointed to the house marked 104 and started to walk towards it. I followed closely behind him and looked at all the places near his house. Just across the path in front of his house were a few markets, but also a large open market filled with clothes. Malcolm opened the door for me and I was amazed. His house had power and was warm. Two space heaters were in his house, one right as we walked in, and one in the room near the kitchen.

"This is amazing," I said in awe. Malcolm laughed a little and went over to the kitchen. "Is this all to yourself?"

"Nah. I have two roommates. A guy in my group and his sister. They're both at work, I'm pretty sure." I sat at the counter in the kitchen, by really knowing where to go or what to do. Malcolm looked back at me as he turned on the stove and laughed. "You can go check out your room if you want and nap or something. There's an extra upstairs. It right to the left when you get to the top of the stairs. I'm making some soup, so come down when you're done and there'll be some left."

"Ok," I said in reply and went up the stairs. I turned to the left and found a twin bed in my room, along with a dresser, bookshelf, and two rifles leaning against the wall. I walked in and closed the door a little behind me. I didn't hesitate to walk to the bed and flop down on it. My whole body felt relaxed as I closed my eyes, but couldn't fall asleep since I wasn't tired. I was awake; alert. I just decided to rest my eyes, and as I started drifting off twenty minutes later, I heard a cart engine revving outside and voices. I looked out the window and saw a golf cart right in front of our house with two men with guns exiting, along with a stern-looking man walking towards the front door of our house. There was a knock, and I heard Malcolm open the door. I heard talking downstairs and slowly opened my door a little. The talking became more clear as I slowly crept down three stairs once I heard them walk into the kitchen. Since there was no wall separating the foyer and the kitchen, I heard everything.

"So where is she?" A deep voice asked. I assumed he meant me.

"Upstairs, sir. Napping," Malcolm's voice spoke. I was confused at him calling the other man 'sir'. This guy he's talking to must be the leader of Wellington.

"That's good. Thank you for taking her in, Malcolm. Edith radioed in and told me about a child and a baby outside. Speaking of which, where is the baby?" The deep voice asked.

"Oh, with Edith, sir. I told her to just keep him for another hour or so. I need to explain everything to Clementine," Malcolm said back. "Any of you want anything to drink?"

"No, thank you, sir," an unfamiliar voice answered.

"I'll just have a water," another unfamiliar voice said.

"Sir? Anything?" Malcolm asked.

"No, thanks," the deep voice answered.

"So, excuse me for asking, sir, but why are you here?" Malcolm asked.

"I'm talking with all the senior officers. There's another group, out there. They call their group "The Storm."

"That's a weird name," Malcolm laughed.

"Laugh at their name all you'd like, but they aren't very friendly and don't want any friendship with Wellington. We received a letter, threatening us unless we meet demands. Now, Wellington has over 900 people and over 400 guards, so they definitely don't outnumber us. But, they are definitely a threat and should be taken seriously. Now, I want you to meet with your group tomorrow. Tell them the situation, but forbid them to tell anyone else of it. I don't need a panic," the deep voice instructed.

"Ok," Malcolm said in reply.

"New schedules will already be in your group's bunker, so have them study and bring them back to their houses. Also, have them keep a very careful eye on everyone for any traitors or anyone outside the wall. Are all your men trustworthy?"

"I can't think of one that isn't," Malcolm said firmly.

"Good. That's all. I want you to come to my office at noon on Thursday, though, so further news will be given. Ok?"

"Yes, sir," Malcolm answered. I quickly went back to my room before they reached the foyer and I lied back down. Malcolm said goodbye to the men and I heard him come up the stairs. I pretended to be asleep and I heard my door slowly creep open. I barely opened my eyes and saw Malcolm standing in the doorway, checking on me. He left and I opened my eyes all the way, becoming worried once again. Wellington wasn't as safe as I though.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

(Clementine's POV)

Two days later

I nervously walked into my first class. This was my first day at survival school, and my first class was gun training. There were only three other kids in the class and they were all talking to each other. I looked at the watch Malcolm gave me and it read 7:15. Class didn't start until 7:30. Malcolm insisted on me leaving early to make sure I wasn't late. I sat down in a desk on the opposite side of the room and just turned my head to the window and looked outside. The teacher was waiting outside, so it was just me and the three kids.

"Hey," I heard one of them say loudly. I turned back around to face them and saw them looking over at me. There were two boys and one girl. "Who're you?"

"I'm Clementine. I'm new."

"Wanna sit by us?" The girl asked. I sat still, not responding and hesitant to go by them.

"Cmon," the first boy said.

"Ok. Sure," I answered finally and got up. I walked over to them and one of the boys got out of his seat and gave it to me. "Thanks."

"No problem," he smiled as he grabbed another chair from a desk nearby. "I'm Hudson."

"I'm Taylor, and this is Leo," the girl said, pointing to the first guy.

"Hey," he nodded to me.

"So is this your first day at Wellington or something?" Hudson asked.

"No my third day. My first day at school, though."

"Who are your housemates?" Hailey asked me.

"Malcolm, a member in his group, Kyle, and his sister, Faith," I answered. I met Kyle and Faith just yesterday. Both were nice and helpful to me for my second day. They didn't look much like siblings, though. Faith had blonde hair, while Kyle's was dark brown.

"Malcolm? As in, Malcolm Kowalski? One of the senior officers?" Hudson asked.

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

"Probably the best officer at Wellington. You're lucky," Leo laughed. "You're not stuck with Andy."

"Oh, I met him," I sighed. "He was at the shooting range when I got evaluated."

"So," Hudson asked, leaning his chair back. "What's your story?" Just then, the door opened and about ten kids walked in along with a few adults, then another ten or so kids trailed in as a loud bell rang.

"Ok, everyone get into your seats," one of the adults announced. I recognized him. It was Quinn, from the parking garage. His eyes met mine and he smiled a little and nodded at me. I smiled back and paid attention to the other adult talking.

"We are going to continue our lesson on shot training from yesterday, so we are going to the outdoor ranges. However, we have a list of you that did very well yesterday and don't need the extra practice. When you hear your name called, you are going to stay here and learn about gun safety and gun tips. If your name isn't called, please line up at the door and Quinn and Fred will take you guys to the range," a woman said.

"Henry, Wendy, Caroline, Zachary, Jake, Hudson, Lily, Taylor, Paul, Izzy, and JJ. The rest of you, at the door," a different woman announced. Hudson and Taylor laughed as Leo got up.

"Not funny," Leo mumbled and he headed to the door and got in line. I slowly stood up, since my name wasn't called and Hudson shook his head.

"Just stay here. You're new," he whispered. I shook my head back and got in line. Quinn walked over to me.

"You don't have to go with the beginners. You didn't do half bad in the range at evaluation, so you can stay here," he said quietly. I looked over at Leo who raised his eyebrows and waved me over to him. He didn't want to be by himself. I bit the inside of my lip subtly and thought. I didn't belong with the beginners, but Leo didn't want to be by himself. I looked back over at Hudson and Taylor and they waved me over to them.

Stay in the classroom (A)

Go to the range (B)


	8. Chapter 8

Hey everyone! Some of the reviews are being weird and showing up a day or two after the choice you guys picked, so when I see it, I already have the next chapter out. It's weird and I'll try my best to actually get the right choices that you guys picked, but bare with me if it isn't right sometimes since the reviews are getting messed up. Thanks!

Chapter 8

(Clementine's POV)

"I'll stay in the class," I answered. Quinn smiled and nodded.

"Good choice. You'll learn more new things here than you will out there," he said and went in front of all the kids. I walked back over to Hudson and Taylor and they smiled at me.

"Good thing you came back," Hudson smiled. "You would've been bored out there. It's all basic baby-shooting out there." Hudson and Taylor laughed and I laughed along, but caught Leo's eye. He looked sad as him and the other kids walked out of the class. I realized that Taylor and Hudson would have each other, but Leo didn't have anybody. I felt bad that I just left him, but the thought was erased when one of the teachers spoke up.

"Ok, everyone else. Pay attention," she announced. "Now, the reason you're all here isn't only because you know how to shoot a gun well, but also because you all handled your weapon carefully yesterday. However, there are still some things we need to go over to cover all of gun safety." She picked up a handgun, but the firearm had an orange tip. "This is just a BB gun, but pretend it's a real gun, ok?" Everyone nodded. She brought her arm up and started pointing it at random people and waving it around. Some people laughed, and some people ducked their heads in cover. "What's everyone freaking out about?"

"Don't point it at us!" Someone giggled in the front. The teacher smiled and held the gun with two hands, but had her arms resting, so the gun was just pointed to the floor.

"Exactly. Izzy, what would you do if you had a gun and saw me, but didn't know me and I started waving this gun around. What would be your instinct of defense?" The teacher asked, looking at the girl who shouted before.

"Probably shoot you since you were waving that thing around," Izzy answered, now more serious.

"But why?" The teacher pressed.

"If you were pointing it even near my direction, I'd think you were trying or going to shoot me."

"Perfect," the teacher announced to the class. "Why else should you keep your gun lowered unless you intend to shoot?" A few kids raised their hands, and the teacher pointed to a boy two desks to the left of me. "Yes, Zachary?"

"In case you accidentally shoot your friend," he said.

"Yes, in case you shoot someone you did not mean to shoot. Your mistake and sloppiness with a gun can cost your friend their life," the teacher shouted firmly. The next thing she did was move her finger on the trigger and had it actually touching the trigger, not just hovering over it. "Next. What am I doing wrong?" No one raised their hand. Either they didn't see or they didn't know the answer. "Anyone?" I looked around and saw every student looking around at someone else to give an answer. I couldn't help but raise my hand to stop the awkward silence. The teacher gave me a confused look. "I'm sorry, I don't know your name?" I angrily bit my lip, knowing this would happen if I raised my hand.

"I'm Clementine. I'm new here," I said shyly. The teacher looked back at the other teacher sitting at the desk and she looked at a piece of paper.

"Oh, yes. Clementine, got you right here," the teacher at the desk said.

"Ok, Clementine. What am I doing wrong?" The first teacher asked.

"Your finger is on the trigger," I answered.

"So?" She asked, wanting more for an answer. I silently sighed.

"You aren't intending to shoot anything, so there's no reason for your finger to be there. If you aren't wanting to shoot anything, but your finger is there, you could accidentally pull the trigger."

"Very good, Clementine," the teacher smiled at me. "How did you know that?"

"It just makes sense" (A)

"Someone taught me" (B)

"Lucky guess?" (C)


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

(Clementine's POV)

"Someone taught me about that. About keeping your finger off the safety," I replied. The teacher smiled.

"Well, they certainly knew what they were doing," the teacher said. I felt someone lightly tap my arm and turned to see it was Hudson.

"Good job," he whispered, smiling. I smiled back as a thanks and faced the teacher again.

"One more thing to avoid accidents," the teacher said and clicked the safety on the gun to 'on'. "Always have the gun on safety, unless you are for sure about to shoot." The other teacher stood up from the desk.

"Now, what to do in a gun situation. The scenario is you see someone with a gun and they point it at you. Obviously," the other teacher announced as the first one now sat in the chair at the desk. "You're going to point your gun back. But, how do you know when to shoot or if you should wait?" A knock came from the door and the teacher standing opened it. A man with a rifle slung over his shoulder stepped in. He was obviously one of the Wellington soldiers.

"Clementine?" He called out, looking around at all the students. I slowly stood up and he caught my eye. He motioned his head out the door. "You need to come with me really quick." A chorus of 'oooohhhh's' came from all the students around me as I walked to the door and followed the soldier out of the class. He started down the hall and looked back to me. "Sorry to pull you out, but my senior officer told me to."

"Am I in some sort of trouble?" I asked in a shaky voice.

"Oh, no. No trouble," he coolly answered as he pushed a buzzer at the exit of the school. The door opened and we exited the building. A cyclist with a cart on the back of his bike, or as Malcolm called them, 'Two-Wheeled Horses', stopped in front of us after the soldier waved him over. It seemed like an easy job. Sort of like a taxi service.

"Need a ride to house 109, please," the soldier said, getting in the cart. I got in as the cyclist turned to face the soldier.

"House 109? $8.65," he said after doing quick calculations. The soldier pulled out some more of the Wellington money and gave it to the cyclist, who gave him a few cents in change. The cyclist started peddling, pulling us with him.

"So, what is this about?" I asked after a minute of silence. House 109 was a senior officer's house.

"You'll see," the soldier said, containing a little smile. I furrowed my brows in confusion as I thought about why I was called out of class. I wasn't in trouble, so what could it be?

"Aye, cmon man!" The cyclist shouted. I looked over his shoulder and saw a person walking slowly across the dirt road. The man angrily threw his hands up and crossed the road. Yep, Wellington was really like life before all this went down. We reached the house and I followed the soldier off the cart.

"Thanks," the soldier said to the cyclist.

"No problem. Have a good one," he answered and peddled away. The soldier and I went up to the door and the soldier knocked on the door. The soldier subtly looked back at me with a smile on his face, but I caught the glance and became confused once again. However, my confusion was erased when the door opened and I saw who was behind it.

Oohhhh a cliffhanger! I gotta little reader poll here. Who do you think is behind the door? (It's someone Clem knows)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

(Clementine's POV)

"Hey, Clem," Lily said once she saw me. She gave a joyful laugh and smile as my mouth dropped in surprise. I was still in surprise and couldn't even move. I thought I'd never see her again. "You can both come inside," she laughed. I slowly stepped inside and followed her into the kitchen. She pointed to a chair at the table and I sat down as Lily sat in a different seat. The soldier also trailed behind and leaned against the wall.

"Anything else, m'am?" He asked Lily. Lily looked over to me.

"Want anything?" She asked me. I shook my head. Lily looked back at the soldier. "No, nothing right now, Vick. You can go back to patrol."

"You got it," he answered and exited the house. I looked back over at Lily.

"I heard you were at Wellington just an hour ago and I couldn't wait to see you any longer. I assume everyone else is..." She said, but trailed off.

"Yeah," I said sadly, thinking of Lee. "I was with Kenny when we came here, but there wasn't enough room for all three of us."

"Three?" Lily asked.

"AJ. He's the baby of some people I was with before. He's at my house," I replied.

"Who are you housing with?"

"Malcolm Kowalski. At least I think that's his last name."

"Well, hopefully Kenny comes back soon. We have ten new spots open," Lily said.

"How did that many spots open in two days?" I asked, confused.

"Some people leave and set out on their own, some people get kicked out. But, anyways, it's great to see you again!"

"You too!" I said happily. "What happened to you after..." I trailed off, not wanting to mention the fact that she stole the RV.

"I drove until that thing ran out of gas, met some groups here and there, and that's about it. Then I got here a year or so ago. But, what about you? What happened to everyone?"

"They're all gone" (A)

"What do you think happened?!" (B)

"This going to take a long time to explain..." (C)


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

(Clementine's POV)

"They're all gone," I mumbled sadly. I didn't really think Lily deserved to know everything since she shot Carley and stole our RV even though Lee let her stay.

"Wow," Lily said with sad brows. She looks down and then back up at me. "Even Lee...?"I nodded, holding back tears. Lily looked back down sadly and took a deep breath.

"I shouldn't have shot her," Lily said quietly. "I think about it every day." I realized she was talking about Carley. I stayed silent, not knowing how to respond. I could tell she maybe did regret her decision, but regret won't bring people back. We stayed silent for a little bit before she spoke again. "Well, you should probably get back to school. Sorry for pulling you out, but I just had to see you when I heard you were here," Lily smiled at me, wiping away a tear. I forced a smile back and stood up.

"Nice seeing you again," I said politely.

"I'll see you around, ok? Just talk to me if you need anything."

"Will do," I responded and opened the front door and walked out. I started to walk back to the school, passing markets and multiple people. Wellington was nice. All types of people and food. It was like the apocalypse wasn't really happening. I haven't seen one walker since I got here. My thoughts were interrupted with three people with their hands out of their pockets. All three of them with both hands out. I was confused, since it was freezing and everyone else had their hands in their pockets, unless they were holding something. Just as the three passed me, I noticed they were holding something. All three held grenades in their hands.

"Oh my god," I said to myself. They all raised their arms that carried the grenades at the same time and prepared to throw them.

"Stop!" (A)

"They're throwing grenades!" (B)

"Help!"

*Run after the three men* (D)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

(Clementine's POV)

"They're throwing grenades!" I shouted as loud as I could. People looked over at me as I pointed to the three men. Their arms released and the grenades went flying, two going in the same direction and one going a different way. People nearby subdued the attackers as I heard the explosions go off in the distance. Soldiers came running over and the restrained the three men. Panicked screams came from the two directions as a hand touched my shoulder. I turned around and saw Lily standing behind me.

"Clem! Get back to your house now!" She shouted over the chaos. I somehow nodded even though I barely heard her. I ran to house 104 and pulled out my key. I quickly unlocked the door as I heard a siren go off.

"Attention Wellington," a voice announced outside on the PA. "Please proceed to your houses immediately unless you are a guard. Guard teams 1, 3, 4, and 9, report to your bunkers. The remaining teams, report to the market corner of 'Orchard' and 'Sandstone' and you will get further assignments there. As for everyone else, please remain in your houses until an announcement comes saying that you may come back outside."

"I gotta go," I heard Kyle say from the kitchen. I walked in further into the house and saw Kyle at the stove and Faith sitting on the couch. "Hey, Clem. Glad you're ok."

"Hey, Clem," Faith said, getting up from the couch. Faith walked over to Kyle and hugged him. "Be careful."

"I will, don't worry," he smiled and broke the hug. "See you guys later."

"Bye," I said in response and looked over to Faith. "Where's Malcolm?" I heard the door shut as Kyle left.

"He was at work and is probably headed to his bunker now," Faith said. We sat in a little bit of silence before Faith spoke again. "So, what even happened? Why is Wellington on lockdown?"

"There was an attack. Three people threw grenades. Sort of like in a random way," I answered. Faith's face was coated with a worried expression as she looked down. "What?" I asked. Her eyes shifted to the side, but she still kept them lowered. Then, her eyes locked on me in a serious look.

"Don't tell Malcolm or Kyle I told you and don't tell anyone else about this, ok?" She sternly told me. I nodded. "The people who threw those grenades weren't part of Wellington."

"How do you know?" I asked, confused, since she didn't even see the people that threw them.

"Wellington doesn't carry grenades. Just guns and vehicles."

"Ok, so it was just someone from the outside," I answered, still not understanding why she was so worried.

"They confiscate all weapons up at the front. If they're carrying weapons like grenades, they go deep into the armory that only the senior officers and mayor have access to. The Storm like to use explosives on attacks. Someone gave them the grenades, Clementine." I understood what she was saying now.

My voice cracked a little when I spoke next. "There's a traitor in Wellington."

End of Episode 1! Thank you everyone who commented choices and gave my story a favorite/follow. I really appreciate it! 'Tensions Rising' (Episode 2) will be out within a few days. I'll post a chapter of the story later today so you can favorite and follow before it actually starts. Thank you! :)


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